Healthcare in Chile

The public system, known as Fondo Nacional de Salud (FONASA), is funded through taxes and provides free or subsidized care to those who cannot afford private health insurance.

Chile was among the first Latin American countries to introduce a healthcare system for the middle class, funded through mandatory salary deductions, similar to the Bismarckian welfare model.

Following the return to civilian rule in 1990, public funding for hospitals increased, but no major reforms were implemented for over a decade.

[citation needed] In 2010, the Constitutional Court of Chile ruled that ISAPREs' premium adjustments based on age and gender were discriminatory, though no alternative mechanism was proposed.

FONASA also covers individuals receiving unemployment benefits, uninsured pregnant women, dependents of insured workers, people with disabilities, and those classified as poor or indigent.

The AUGE plan (also known as GES, or Garantías Explícitas en Salud) guarantees access, opportunity, quality, and financial coverage for 80 high-mortality conditions.